Robert Webster graciously invited my No. 1 Brother-in-Law, Douglas Pettigrew of Reidsville, NC to come down and go fishing with us on Lake Tillery of which Doug was very excited and quickly accepted the open invitation.

Doug and my lovely sister Susan aka SusieQ came down yesterday afternoon and we had a "Fruits of The Harvest" meal at our home consisting of Venison Cubed Steak and Gravy, white rice, steamed Broccoli and Cheese and Mary B's Tea Biscuits. 

My sister said Doug didn't sleep much last night because he was excited to get to fish with Robert and myself having already seen the pixs and short stories posted on this website of Robert's success on Lake Tillery.  I picked Doug up at around 0500 hours and we went to Bo Jangles for a biscuit and coffee and quickly returned home to transport a biscuit to my bride who was up since 0220 this morning; one of those nights she couldn't sleep and I called Robert on the Obama phone letting him know we were on the way.  My bride, sister and Sister-in-Law Betty Jo Porter planned a Girls Day Out to do some shopping in Monroe and enjoy lunch together!

The last time I talked to Robert about our fishing trip for today, I told him I was going to be the First Mate of which I was really a Deckhand or Grunt and will get to that a little later.

It took about forty-five (45) plus minutes to get to the Family Campground there off 24/27 and Robert was pulling his boat and trailer around and we loaded and few things in his boat and followed him to the N. C. Wildlife Resources Commission Swift Island Boating Access which is about 1/3 mile from his campsite.

While Robert was heading to one of his "hot spots" we observed the White Perch schooling close by and stopped, put the fishing rigs out but they apparently moved on.  We cranked the lines in and continued up the Lake and it wasn't long before we were into the White Perch and pulling them out two and three at a time.  Below a few pixs to document the fishing trip since a picture is worth a thousand words:

Above, Douglas Pettigrew, retired Correctional Sergeant pulling on his fishing pole ready to bring a couple of those White Perch into the boat.

Robert scolded me for not getting a pix of some of the larger fish that Doug caught...my bad!  Doug with a double on.

Robert with a keeper White Perch for the cooler and a slight grin going on; "You can't touch this."

Doug with a couple more White Perch.  We threw 3 or 4 White Perch back for every 1 we kept.

Robert with a triple catch and those beauties are destined for the cooler for sure. 

I was helping take a few of the White Perch off the lines since I was The First Mate in training but Robert quickly pointed out, when I saw a rod that was bending down like it had a good sized fish on it, I must have forgotten about the First Mate Status and started reeling the fish in......grin if you must.

Bill Porter aka Mickey and/or Wild Man with a keeper White Perch.

The White Perch were schooling like crazy not too far from us but we were facing the sun and couldn't get a good photograph of all the action.  I expect there was a good half plus acre in size of the White Perch feeding on the small shad bait fish.

Bob McLean came by and checked on us and I believe he said he had a few keeper Crappie.  The angle of the sun reflecting off the surface of the water really makes a difference on how the color of the water hue will photograph.  Bob said he heard us laughing and hollering across the Lake.

By 0940, we had the 70 quart cooler three fourths of the way filled with fish and called it a morning and Robert took Doug and myself on a scenic tour of the upper part of Lake Tillery.   To reiterate, we threw back at least 3 or 4 to every fish that we kept this morning and had a fantastic time.  Like on the previous fishing trips with Robert Webster, the fishing was fast and furious when the White Perch were in their feeding frenzy moods.

Early on while fishing, we noticed that maggots were coming from the real of the boat near the battery compartment of which someone must have left a fish back there on the last fishing trip.  I probably stepped on hundreds of them and when they were getting onto my shoes, I began to back up a little and Robert cut a good grin on that move.  Also, while attempting to get a rod from a holder, I made the statement, "I couldn't get it out quick enough" and both Doug and Robert did some serious verbal grinning out loud; I think they got just a little side tracked by that statement!  Pix of the maggots just so you want think I am making this up:

Robert tried to recover and said that was his alternate bait source if the lures didn't work.  That would be like trying to sell High Dollar Beach Front Property located in the Mojave dessert.

Below pixs taken while Robert took Doug and myself on a scenic ride up past Morrow Mt. State Park, Falls Dam, (The starting point of Lake Tillery) and into the Uwharrie River where it feeds into Lake Tillery.  Above the entrance to Uwharrie River where it feeds into Lake Tillery, the river has a name change from Yadkin River to Pee Dee River named after the Pee Dee Indians.  Click on thumbnail pixs for a larger screen view:  

After the scenic boat ride provided by Robert, we loaded up and headed back to Robert's Campsite and Robert started getting the fish fry underway and this is always one of the highlights of fishing with Robert Webster.  Brother Doug kicked back taking it easy; looks a little pooped too!

Click on below thumbnail pixs for a larger screen view:

After that fine meal of fried White Perch fillets, French fries, bake sweet potato, cole slaw, sliced Dill pickles, sliced fresh home grown tomatoes and cold sweet tea, we all were tight as ticks.  We didn't cut the fish any slack at the table but did while on the lake (we threw back 3 or 4 for ever one kept) and our meal certainly was wonderful.  Robert did his usual magic again!

FISH FILLETING 101 BY ROBERT WEBSTER

It was time to process the fish and I wanted to get some pixs for the webpage.  Robert and Doug got a golf cart and loaded the fish and gear up and headed to one of his neighbors up the road a piece of which they allow him to use their outside "shed" which is equipped with a fan, overhead high fixture and everything needed to get the job done quickly and efficiently including a couple electric fillet knives.  Robert also allowed yours truly to try his hand at doing some filleting with the electric knives but I will tell you, I wasted some fish in the learning process.  Robert said, after a few coolers of filleting fish, it would become real easy.  Robert has the touch with those electric fillet knives and he has the switch taped on the Fisherman brand electric fillet knife and called that brand a piece of junk because the switch is not ergonomically designed, especially anyone with arthritis.  I photographed Robert doing a few of the White Perch so I wouldn't leave any part of Robert Webster's filleting technique out.  Click on below thumbnail pixs for a larger screen view:

Robert has a little different technique for dealing with catfish and fillets them in segments:

Below pix that Doug took using his "Obama Phone" while I was filleting the rib bones from one of the fillets.  I filleted the rib bones from the fillets while Robert filleted the fish and when I got caught up filleted all the fillets with the rib bones, I joined him using another electric fillet knife of which I was very crude with the fillet knife.  Robert seen in the background doing some Supervision 101.  NOTE:  I refer to all cell phones now as Obama Phones.....grin if you must!  You might have guessed, I am no Obama fan for sure!

I looked at the time frame on the pictures taken and Robert started at 1:37 PM and finished at 2:49 PM for a total time of 1 hour and 12 minutes to fillet that cooler of fish including the channel catfish and that is pretty fast and efficient.  Image how long it would have taken to scale, gut and process all those fish the old fashioned way.  I love "bone in" fish but those White Perch fillets are off the chain good fried as fillets!

In conclusion, we had a wonderful morning on Lake Tillery and caught a "mess" of White Perch and my Brother-in-Law of whom I refer to as Brother Doug, stated that was the best fishing that he has ever done both Fresh Water and Salt Water.  It was great to see Brother Doug having such a fun and wonderful time pulling those White Perch fish in.  What those White Perch lacked in size made up for it in fight and spunk....beautimous fishing!

A special thank you to Robert Webster for making it happen today.  As I say many, many times, "Two of the Greatest Ships that ever Sailed, Friendship and Fellowship."  We enjoyed one another and had a fantastic meal and it just doesn't get any better than that!

CLOSING ON A SPIRITUAL NOTE

It is great that we live in a Country that allows us the freedom and opportunity to enjoy what God has created for all of us to enjoy and I am aware of what sacrifices has been made in the past and what is needed to maintain our freedom, both physical and spiritual.  Our current political regime seems to be rapidly eroding away what our forefathers have fought so long and hard to maintain which is a travesty.  I give daily thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior for his many blessings and give him the praise, glory and honor!  God will surely bring his judgment upon the wicked!

VIEW ADDITIONAL FISHING TRIPS AT THESE LINKS:

Fishing 2015

Lake Tillery Fishing 07-16-15

Lake Tillery Fishing 07-22-15

Web published by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 07-30-15 and updated on 08-01-15.